Vending machine

ABSTRACT

A vending machine includes an enclosure, a bracket, and two hangers. Each of the two brackets includes two rods and a plurality of cross bars connecting the two rods. Mounting slots for the hangers are defined in each of the two rods. The mounting portions of the two hangers are secured to the enclosure and to the rods, and provide locational and structural support for the brackets simply by virtue of gravity, avoiding the need for screws in assembling and disassembling the bracket.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to vending machines, and particular to anenclosure and bracket of a vending machine.

2. Description of Related Art

A traditional vending machine includes an outer enclosure and a bracketmounted to the outer enclosure to carry merchandise. The bracket isusually mounted to two opposite sidewalls of the outer enclosure throughscrews, to provide vertical support and stability to the bracket.However, assembling the bracket is time-consuming in coordinating theholding screws to secure all components. Thus, there is a room toimprove within the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded, schematic view of one embodiment of a vendingmachine.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a hanger of the vending machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a bracket of the vending machine of FIG.1.

FIG. 4 is a partially assembled view of the vending machine of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an assembled view of vending machine of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The disclosure is illustrated by way of example and not by way oflimitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which likereferences indicate similar elements. It should be noted that referencesto “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily tothe same embodiment, and such references mean “at least one.”

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a vending machine. The vendingmachine includes an enclosure and two brackets 30. The two brackets 30are separate and can cooperatively carry a plurality of merchandise (notshown) inside the enclosure.

The enclosure includes a bottom wall 12, a rear wall 13, a first outersidewall 17, a first inner sidewall 172, a second outer sidewall 18, asecond inner sidewall 182 and a plurality of hangers 50 for hanging thetwo brackets 30 in the enclosure. A seal cover 15 is located on thebottom wall 12. The first inner sidewall 172 is attached andsubstantially parallel to the first outer sidewall 17. The second innersidewall 182 is attached and substantially parallel to the second outersidewall 18. The first outer sidewall 17 and the second outer sidewall18 are located on opposite sides of the rear wall 13. The first outersidewall 17 and the second outer sidewall 18 are substantially parallelto each other and are substantially perpendicular to the rear wall 13.Four first securing slots 1722 are defined in the first inner sidewall172 for securing four of the plurality of hangers 50. Four secondsecuring slots 1822 are defined in the second inner sidewall 182 forsecuring another four of the plurality of hangers 50. Each of the firstsecuring slots 1722 and second securing slots 1822 extends horizontally.

FIG. 2 illustrates one of the plurality of hangers 50 in one embodiment.A cross section of each of the plurality of hangers 50 is substantiallyin the shape of a reverse “S”. Each of the plurality of hangers 50includes a securing portion 51, a mounting portion 52, and a connectingportion 55 connecting the securing portion 51 to the mounting portion52. A cross section of the securing portion 51 is substantially

L-shaped. A cross section of the mounting portion 52 is substantiallyL-shaped. Each of the plurality of hangers 50 can be made of metalsheet.

FIG. 3 illustrates one of the two brackets 30 in one embodiment. The twobrackets 30 may be substantially the same or symmetrical to each other.Each of the two brackets 30 includes two rods 31 and a plurality ofcross bars 33. The two rods 31 are substantially parallel to each other.The plurality of cross bars 33 is substantially parallel to each otherand substantially perpendicular to the two rods 31. Two mounting slots312 are defined in each of the two rods 31 for engaging with theplurality of hangers 50. The two mounting slots 312 are defined onopposite ends of each of the two rods 31.

FIG. 4 illustrates an assembled view of the enclosure in one embodiment.The first outer sidewall 17 is located on one side of the rear wall 13.The second outer sidewall 18 is located on an opposite side of the rearwall 13. The first inner sidewall 172 is secured to the first outersidewall 17. The second inner sidewall 182 is secured to the secondouter sidewall 18. Four of the plurality of hangers 50 extend into thefour first securing slots 1722 and are secured to the first innersidewall 172. Another four of the plurality of hangers 50 extend intothe four second securing slots 1822 and are secured to the second innersidewall 182. The seal cover 15 abuts the first inner sidewall 172 andthe second inner sidewall 182.

FIG. 5 illustrates an assembled view of the enclosure and the twobrackets 30 in one embodiment. When securing the two brackets 30 to theenclosure, the two brackets 30 are hung on the first inner sidewall 172and the second inner sidewall 182, through the plurality of hangers 50.The mounting portion 52 of each of the four hangers 50 on the firstinner sidewall 172 extends through each of the four mounting slots 312of the bracket 30 and hooks on to the bracket 30. The mounting portion52 of each of the four hangers 50 on the second inner sidewall 182extends through each of the four mounting slots 312 of the bracket 30and hooks on to the bracket 30. The two brackets 30 are then hung fromthe first inner sidewall 172 and the second inner sidewall 182. The sealcover 15 is located on bottom portions of the two brackets 30 to providesupplementary support for the two brackets 30.

It is to be understood, however, that even though numerouscharacteristics and advantages have been set forth in the foregoingdescription of preferred embodiments, together with details of thestructures and functions of the preferred embodiments, the disclosure isillustrative only, and changes may be made in detail, especially in thematters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principlesof the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad generalmeaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A vending machine comprising: an enclosure; abracket, comprising two rods and a plurality of cross bars connectingthe two rods, and a mounting slot defined in each of the two rods; andtwo hangers secured to the enclosure, each of the two hangers comprisinga mounting portion, wherein each of the two mounting portions is engagedwith each of the two mounting slots to hang the bracket to theenclosure.
 2. The vending machine of claim 1, further comprising a sealcover located in the enclosure to support the bracket.
 3. The vendingmachine of claim 1, wherein the enclosure comprises an outer sidewalland an inner sidewall, and each of the two hangers is mounted to theinner sidewall.
 4. The vending machine of claim 3, wherein each of thetwo hangers comprises a securing portion, and two securing slots aredefined in the inner sidewall of the enclosure corresponding to the twosecuring portions.
 5. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein a crosssection of each of the two hangers is substantially in shape of reverse“S”.
 6. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein a cross section of eachof the two securing portions is substantially L-shaped, and each of thetwo securing portions extends through each of the two mounting slots andhooks each of the two rods.
 7. The vending machine of claim 1, whereineach of the two hangers is made of metal sheet.
 8. The vending machineof claim 1, wherein the two rods are substantially parallel, and theplurality of cross bars is substantially perpendicular to the two rods.9. A vending machine comprising: an enclosure comprising two outersidewalls and two inner sidewalls, and each of the two inner sidewallsattached to each of the two outer sidewalls; two brackets, separated toeach other, each of the two brackets comprising two rods and a pluralityof cross bars connecting the two rods, and a mounting slot defined ineach of the two rods; and two hangers detachably secured to each of thetwo inner sidewalls, and each of the two hangers comprising a mountingportion, wherein each of the two mounting portions is engaged with eachof the two mounting slots to hang each of the two brackets to theenclosure.
 10. The vending machine of claim 9, further comprising a sealcover located between the two inner sidewalls to support the twobrackets.
 11. The vending machine of claim 10, wherein each of the twohangers comprises a securing portion, and two securing slots are definedin each of the two inner sidewalls corresponding to the two securingportions.
 12. The vending machine of claim 9, wherein a cross section ofeach of the two hangers is substantially in shape of reverse “S”. 13.The vending machine of claim 9, wherein a cross section of each of thetwo securing portions is substantially L-shaped, and each of the twosecuring portions extends through each of the two mounting slots andhooks each of the two rods.
 14. The vending machine of claim 9, whereineach of the two hangers is made of metal sheet.
 15. The vending machineof claim 9, wherein the two rods are substantially parallel, and theplurality of cross bars is substantially perpendicular to the two rods.16. The vending machine of claim 9, wherein the two inner sidewalls andthe two outer sidewalls are substantially parallel.
 17. The vendingmachine of claim 16, wherein the two brackets are substantiallysymmetrical to each other.